DURANT DISHES OUT AN ASSIST

Billups decides against going for Cavs GM job

Kevin Durant agrees to a new deal with the Warriors, agreeing to a pay cut that will help his teammates earn more.

Kevin Durant was drawn to the Warriors largely by the unselfishness he witnessed. In that spirit, his biggest assist might be coming this month.

Durant, according to multiple sources, is not just passing on the new maximum contract he could get, which would start at $34.65 million. His plan is to also pass on taking the maximum raise he is eligible for, which would start his salary at $31.6 million.

Durant is expected to sign a twoyear, $53 million contract, a source confirmed. The exact details of his new contract were first reported by ESPN’s Chris Haynes. His first-year salary will be $25 million, nearly $10 million less than what he could have gotten. The second year is a player option, which Durant is expected to decline and sign a new maximum contract.

Durant’s willingness to take even less is how the Warriors were able to sign Andre Iguodala for $48 million and Shaun Livingston for $24 million, both over three years.

Combined, Iguodala and Livingston will make some $24 million next season. The Warriors were perhaps willing to pay them that much because Durant — who has made more than $135 million in his NBA career, not counting endorsement earnings — made it clear he was willing to lower his 2017-18 salary even more. In essence, he is gifting part of his salary to his teammates.

Another factor: Durant’s gesture lowers the Warriors’ tax bill.

The penalties escalate the more a team spends over the cap. For teams that are less than $5 million over the tax, the penalty is $1.50 for every dollar over. The penalty jumps to $1.75 for

the next $5 million spent over the tax.

The Warriors are on pace to be more than $20 million over the luxury tax, which puts their penalty at $3.75 per dollar spent — and it increases 50 cents every $5 million they exceed $20 million.

CAVALIERS: Chauncey Billups, after discussing a lead role in Cleveland’s front office, withdrew from consideration Monday. The former All-Star guard had been in discussions with Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert about joining the Eastern Conference champions, but Billups said the “timing just isn’t right.”

SUNS: Phoenix declined a team option on guard Leandro Barbosa on Monday, saving the team $3.5 million in salary cap space.

LAKERS: The Lakers formalized deals with first-round draft picks Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart.

Ball is expected to make $33.4 million over four years in his contract slot as the second overall pick.